Screen Free Week

Why does the library celebrate Screen Free Week?

Nielsen Media Research, Inc., reported in 2010 that Americans watch an astounding 5 hours 42 minutes of TV per day, including traditional TV, time-shifted TV, and internet video. That is almost 40 hours per week (a second job!), over 6 solid days per month, and more than two months per year.

Imagine what you could be doing with all that time.

Other studies show the more time viewers spend watching TV, the less time they spend doing community activities. TV watching comes at the expense of nearly every social activity outside the home, especially social gatherings and informal conversations. TV viewers are homebodies.

America used to be known for its active citizenry. The tendency is still there, but the time required to be engaged with the community is being sucked up by all those TV sets and digital screens across the nation. It's time to declare our independence from our digital screens and rebuild or lives, our families, and our communities.

One week a year, we ask you to join us in community activities to see how long you can go without the influence of television or online media.

Kill Your Television[1] -- Quotes, essays and comments about the dangers of television in society - Download a Smash Your TV game or watch rock videos about media and your mind